Bee Day. Bee Day. This an emergency.

 BeeDay BeeDay humans are sinking the biodiversity for their greed and replicating genes. BeeDay BeeDay. This is an emergency. 

Emergent properties or is it “mirage”/“hallucination”/“sparks/glimmer of AGI”?

 

Last few days have been quite bamboozling. The world didn’t know what to make of Geoffrey Hinton’s ominous claims “It is like aliens have landed on our planet and we haven’t quite realized it yet because they speak very good English”, and unbecoming of Wittgenstein these aliens understand us quite well through our languages so as to promptly plot to “wipe out the humanity” -and believe me it does sound chilling in nonchalant british accent. He even quotes French philosopher Blaise Pascal as an afterthought -oh by the way “if you have two alternatives (i.e. AI killing humanity or not) and you have very little understanding of what is going on, then you should say 50 per cent.’ So that’s Geoffrey Hinton, a respected and reputed Turing awarded researcher (incidentally his grandfather George Boole formulated Boolean algebra that lay the foundation for entire digital age), who resigned from Google with this very intention, to warn the unsuspecting world of looming AI apocalypse, something that market media cherishes (atleast here in India they are always ready and looking forward to doomsday scenario, stock pictures and videos of terminators are edited with foreboding soundtrack to rivet the herd). He asserts that we are in new stage of evolution “when biological intelligence gets replaced by digital intelligence”. Hinton is described as godfather of AI, and is behind the recent breakthrough in AI through Large Language Models that is based on neural network and deep learning (back propagation algorithm, which allows AI to refine and extract patterns and concepts on a vast quantity of data, that is, learning based generative AI as against reason/logic based) that changed the way machines see the world. Though neural network has been area of research since 1950s but was at technological dead end, hence mathematical system emulating human brain was considered bewilderingly impossible so much so that even the word “neural network” was seen as offensive. Hinton doggedly pursued with minimum of facilities and research students aiming to create machines that could not only recognize objects but identify spoken words, understand natural language, converse, and solve problems humans couldn’t solve on their own.  In 2012 they presented paper with the breakthrough claim (incidentally 2012 is also the year in which another breakthrough technology, CRIPSR Cas9, paper was presented, and those keen on doomsday a movie named '2012' -mayan calendar whatever). Understanding the significance of this revolutionary technology big tech companies (including the Chinese) bid to acquire through close door auction. Finally, they went with Google but by now others were aware that gamechanger was on the horizon so the world was set for an AI race fueled by generative algorithm. Startup DeepMind was acquired by Google while OpenAI by Microsoft. OpenAI eventually brought out ChatGPT. Those who were keeping abreast with the latest in this field are aware that much before ChatGPT there were indications of something significant at work. I am sure some us have watched the documentary AlphaGo (2017) that defeated world champion in Go game, what was interesting was the emotional response of Lee Sedol -a sensitive fellow who eventually retired from the game, the counter intuitive moves were not accidental but reflection of something deep at work. Anyone who has watched AlphaZero (AI trained by playing with itself instructed on basic rules and objective function of winning with no human input) play with StockFish (till recently the most powerful chess engine that was trained on human games) will know how spectacular neural network based deep learning is. Its counter intuitive strategy makes moves that no human ever made, it brings out pattern beyond human comprehension, and could only be known once the game is over for you to analyze. It’s spell binding.

So, has AI acquired emergent properties? The concept of emergence has been in use in science for decades, it means complex, unpredictable behaviors, emerging from simple natural laws. Emergent phenomena are ubiquitous in nature (indeed nothing in science makes sense without emergence) and a proper grasp of how they come about could hold the key to solving some of our biggest mysteries. Nobel laureate physicist Philip Anderson worked the idea of emergence as quantitative changes that can lead to qualitatively different and unexpected phenomena. For AI LLM systems (which are very large transformer neural networks, often spanning across hundreds of billions of parameters, trained on hundreds of gigabytes of text data) it means abilities not present in smaller models but present in larger models, unexpected and unintended abilities, to elaborate further, impressive abilities gained by programs that they were supposedly never trained to possess, that is, seeking to transcend for new functions. So, as a dampener, a paper (yet to be peer reviewed) by a team of Stanford scientists, argue that the “glimmers of artificial general intelligence (AGI)” we're seeing are all just “an illusion”. They found that when “more data and less specific metrics are brought into the picture, these seemingly unpredictable properties become quite predictable”. The researchers argue that "existing claims of emergent abilities are creations of the researcher's analysis, not fundamental changes in model behavior on specific tasks with scale”. In simple terms it means that it is borne out of inherently flawed metrics. Soon enough some have gone for the attack, this from an article I read the other day “Claiming that complex outputs arising from even more complex inputs is ‘emergent behavior’ is like finding a severed finger in a hot dog and claiming the hot dog factory has learned to create fingers”. “Modern AI chatbots are not magical artifacts without precedent in human history. They are not producing something out of nothing. They do not reveal insights into the laws that govern human consciousness and our physical universe. They are industrial-scale knowledge sausages”. Even the claims of ChatGPT learning new language, Bengali, on its own is being questioned. There are allegations of market ploy to get attention and investors. It surely is getting nasty. Neural network based deep machine learning generative algorithm can provide solutions to lots of our problems, and may even bring out hidden logics of fusion, but to claim that it will provide solutions for climate change or biodiversity loss is spurious. Scientists and researchers have it well documented, AI will only make it much clearer but that shouldn’t be an excuse to distract from fossil fuel. There is already an attempt to distract towards fossil fuel emissions in forthcoming COP28 -a meet which is already doomed.    

So where is the truth? The truth is not in the extremes. There are enough evidences of emergent ability in AI, atleast in narrow discreet setting. Halicin, protein folds so on are some brilliant examples of AI probing reason beyond our comprehension. The brilliance of few simple rules of chess or Go that created unexpected complexities of moves or reasons in black box that we are not privy to. Clearly very complex is being solved with a relatively simple algorithm. This is emergent ability. The problem is when you confine AI/generative algorithm to LLM, as also mess up with claims of AGI, conscious, sentient and what not. On its own LLM models like ChatGPT4, PaLM, BARD so on are quite spectacular achievement, one needn’t spoil it with claims of AGI. There is digital intelligence that is created when billions of parameters and gigabytes are involved, and with multimodal input through everyday talk, videos, converted into texts for LLM, meaning sights and sounds are accessed, and very conceivable for other senses be activated. It is conceivable that LLMs develop an internal complexity that goes well beyond a shallow statistical analysis. It will be certainly much more than a stochastic parrot, and carry complexity to build some representation of the world. Language have evolved through thousands of years of iteration and has logic of thought that is based on simple rules of grammar but meanings are approximation of logic and context that may not be expressible or confined through grammar. Powerful AI is well placed to access this black box logic of thought. Hinton is right there is an alien that is the sum total of our language.

One would also agree with Hinton that digital intelligence is better than biological intelligence but whether biological intelligence is transition towards digital intelligence is questionable. Digital intelligence requires much more energy but is shared across entire networks and can process much more data than we can. It’s efficient hence better that surely doesn’t mean prescient. Biological intelligence is byproduct of millions of years evolution and in necessary iteration through senses to surrounding. Mutualism and symbiotic relations have significantly contributed to evolution of life.  There is a compelling argument that is put forth: if submarines do not swim like fish and airplanes do not fly like birds then why should computers think like humans? Quite true, and black box logic is ample proof of it. But then fishes and birds are not only swimming and flying they also think and live a complex life. Logic is only a part of thinking, and complexity of human thinking is a wonder despite low memory and weak computation. Humans will not be able to identify intricate pattern in complex iteration of powerful computations but they can create complex associations without any pattern, intuit and use emotion to evaluate. Though evolutionary algorithm (also algorithms from nature like swarm intelligence, and for instance light weighting algorithm to optimize energy and resource from as simple an organism as slime mold) adds to complexities of digital intelligence, in few iteration that has millions of years of making, it is fixed on what exist today as determination of collective intelligence pattern on which to iterate learning. This wouldn’t factor breakthrough ideas that define human progress. Nevertheless digital intelligence has lots of possibilities and danger too. It needn’t be smarter than human to create trouble. Consider a virus it doesn’t really have the kind of biological intelligence nor consciousness that humans have but still are lethal and can wipe out substantial human population as also severely strain and collapse human created systems. Even a single cell life form like virus or bacteria that doesn’t match human intelligence have sophisticated attack and defense systems (that even question anthropomorphized ideas of intelligence). You just have to look at amazing array of bacteriophages and bacterial defense like Crispr. Biological intelligence had luxury of billions of years to evolve. Digital intelligence has deep learning memory with unmatched computation power that will grow exponentially it is therefore expected that it delves into complexity of pattern and show emergent ability to generate logic and surprises that takes us closer to nature of reality.               

The CNN syndrome

CNN positions itself as some kind of value-based savior media, we too fall for the ruse forgetting that these are money making enterprise, and like cheapskates positioning as media in India they too are working for next meal or EMI. It’s a miserable life. You can always find relevant news through online platform streamline to your need, as for Indian media I follow the worst references catering to my expectations from Indian media (it’s hilarious the way these dimwits use adjectives as clickbait). There was a time when Pronnoy’s angels cooed with castetva sycophants to save the world, dangerous caste cannibal lacking any discerning skill whatsoever as President of India opened up democratic institutions to honor greatest living Indians, saccharine fizz seller (exploiting groundwater, plastic polluting and ofcourse disease spreading) was right at the top list. If you got into the minds of likes of Pranab for insight you will shudder at the degradation. A tradition of deeply flawed psychopaths like ‘Rajaji’ nurtured by castetva forces, imagine the despicable caste cannibal grabbing Governor General’s position licking the colonials while playing freedom, even snarled for President’s position, snatched the Bharat Ratna, meanwhile presented as CM of TN (the degradation this trash in human form unleashed is still felt). There are streets, colonies even a wildlife sanctuary (that too in Uttarakhand) named after this pus. He is an abiding inspiration for all the manipulators getting up every day morning to manipulate afresh to never give up! 

So, where does CNN fit in? We have seen in recent times how BBC has degraded itself, indeed a media that emerges from monarchy feudal and christianity ensconced value system is already compromised. With Fox News asked to pay the due for its wanton misdeeds in the garb of media hence diminished the charlatans at CNN saw an opportunity to fill in the gap. Imagine these scoundrels. They invited former president -space shifting sputum- and this is the least offensive reference I can muster, to balance. They arranged it to fit in the market needs, essentially a jolly affair to keep the herd happy. CNN very well knew herd is now a mob, and the mobster is slick in his turf. Nevertheless, they went ahead, this foolhardy entitled assurance and heuristic salivating is a defining characteristic of the times we live in. Pity. Beware people. Be very careful of these high-end manipulators. They are here to mollycoddle the powerful and least bothered how much misery it causes. They are here to do what benefits them. They are here to prime us to compromise and tolerant to degradation as we loose our world and our sensibilities. These are the entertainers on the deck of sinking ship. These are the foot soldiers of apocalypse. There is nothing else to this template. The system has iterated for narrow gains for too long hence gone crazy. Period.   

Post script: what I have realized over time is that existential issues like climate change or extinction cannot really be tackled with contemporary framework, the market capitalist economy and opportunistic systems that it nurtures. It seems to be futile. These are stampeded by manipulators trying to position for benefit. Prescient youngsters and perceptive indigenous people are only genuine presence, and you can really feel for them. We have failed, the system panders the herd and herd controllers, a self-defeating loop. It has become impossible to take collective action for common good. Sustainable technologies and solutions seem the only way out.   

An open letter to Mr. Charles

 

Dear Mr. Charles,

"We are under no king; let each vindicate himself."-Seneca 

I write this from India, a former colony of Britain that still suffers from after effects of colonial exploitation. Not that it was better off before colonialized, but then we need someone to blame and british raj ticks all the excuses. The reason I am writing in English, and not in Spanish or French, is just as fated. India was waiting to be colonized, and it just happened to be Britain. So, we common people were fated. Your luck. English is an interesting language though, and opened new areas of inquisitiveness unlike Indian languages that were stuck in time warp of unenterprising self-obsessed people. I don’t agree with civilizing mission of racist colonizers nor do I agree on accomplished civilized mission of primitive Indian elite. India was always trapped in worst of outcomes. So, nobody really can be blamed. Some talk of reparation and apology. There is really nothing to apologize for nor any need for reparation. What happened must be seen in the context of time. Line has to be drawn. Few centuries back world was a nasty place. Might and power decided what was right. Most of the world lived in terror of aggression and exploitation. Europeans were efficient and enterprising to create technology to explore the world. While much of the world lacked, it is not that they were non violent or peace loving -indeed societies are brutal and it’s a common feature, they are essentially defined by dominant value systems. Humans are as violent as nature is. For last few decades much of world has created systems of law and order, democratic institutions and justice system, hence spaces of peaceful secure existence for most people.

In the last few centuries monarchies in Europe provided for long periods of tranquility within their boundaries, and during these periods most of them encouraged and provided space for best of human expressions and ideas, that accumulated from best of all across the world through time from Greeks to Mesopotamia to Chinese and so on. Much of astounding progress of humanity in the last few decades can be traced to these. It’s not that other part of the world did not contribute. It was sporadic and most were incapable to sustain due to various factors. Britain specifically was responsible for amazing progress in science under the royal patronage. Not that science would not have progressed without royal patronage but taken much longer time (facts are already there, if not Newton someone else). Essentially this would have shifted the trajectory of human progress which we see all around us, and possibly we would still be living in the grip of fate driven fantasies and superstitions in a much-diminished world. So, European monarchies despite committing atrocities all across the world -which ofcourse seems natural in the context of time, have served humanity immensely by creating settled secure space, hence traditions of contemplating into streams of thoughts, consolidating into systematic learning and enquiry, that put foundation to further search and research. Hence thank you to the monarchs who lived during those ages. They guided for better world.

The world has come a long way since then. Humanitarian values have consolidated in most part of the world. We value freedom, equality, liberty and dignity of each individual, and these form the lynchpin of human interactions and foundations for institutions on which humanity’s progress is dependent on. Without these we are back to medieval uncertainties. Reparations and apologies are not needed but systems that sustains feudal values cannot be supported hence must go. Tradition and culture that doesn’t sustain egalitarian values are not progressive hence persistent threat and source for misery. It is therefore important for you to understand that existence of monarchy is an anachronism that is challenging all that is precious to humanity, to each and every of eight billion humans on this planet, particularly to the most vulnerable. How will you explain your position to that bright child negotiating her way to school despite overwhelming odds? Can you answer any of the question that a man working 9-5 for meagre existence has? Will you be able to answer the woman walking in treacherous heat for daily pot of water? You cannot. All your weight of history and tradition is too light to the existential realities of life. Ascriptive exceptionalism is worst of possibilities, it sustains the most degraded humans that live among us and a constant threat whether caste cannibals (hindus) or monster mullah (islam) or racist whites (christians) so on. The world is facing enough serious crisis whether climate change, species extinctions or AI generated polarizing disinformation set to be unleashed etc. and these need immediate attention. What the world is witnessing in Britain is an embarrassing display of medieval theatre of absurdity. It is an assault on humanity. It is exciting the worst kind of people from all across the world, and initiating juvenile binary discussions we don’t need. Adult humans can be better than this. Please grow up. Have a reality check. Abdicate.  

Best wishes

A concerned fellow

From your former colony                           

 

Terrifying reality of Artificially generated fakes

 

Something sinister is taking over the world. Suddenly one is not able to trust one’s senses. This is crucial since it is when we sense things that we can understand, comprehend through complex interactions of knowledge, experience, intuition and critical thinking faculties. This then becomes part of us, our memory, learning and future evaluation reference. If we cannot even trust our senses then situation becomes dire, as it is the world is increasingly nurtured by greedy self-centered people who are looking out to optimize their world view to ensnare people into profit. They are targeting our worst instincts to engage hence nurture addiction and outrage. It’s not that these things were not happening before. In India for instance, that lacks enlightened core to nurture better ways, for decades worst of people degraded possibilities of modern systems. Every new understanding, ideas or gadget became tool to manipulate for greed for power, money and influence. Marketeers and manipulators controlled the system with worst of tradition that became pointers for playing diversity, words were being used devoid of any meaning, they used power blatantly to control narration and give impression to West of liberal and progressive. They morph into best version of what West demands or expects. While ironically West, like Britain, was compromised with monarchy and feudal ways, crucially they controlled far off lands that encouraged corruption through money laundering so on. Attack on Iraq and its blatancy is a study on how deep the rot is. And I am quite sure dark money is pouring to them as gifts, influence, so on to work narration. This is how neo colonialism work. You benefit from framework of colonialism and feudal values with least of effort. These were also setting standards for the world, having amassed wealth and influence through colonial exploitations and slavery. Then the audacity to evaluate.  

I have closely observed manipulators at work. These are the worst kind of humans, and they have spread all across the world. Societies with strong ethical foundations tend to be less compromised, societies that invested on education and care tend to have compassionate value systems, but nevertheless these sinister forces work on the sidelines to pounce on every opportunity, that is essentially targeting weakness of human or system. They are here for money and power whichever way they can grab it. Semantics (without any meaning except as debating point to showcase their liberal bearing and virtue signaling) and control of narration is how they extended their sinister grip. Lacking egalitarian foundation democratic institutions get compromised, and nurture worst of possibilities. It was not an accident that british media went with the lies (‘sexed up’) of Blair and Labour party to attack Iraq and cause deaths and untold suffering to millions of people, and this less than a century ago when they caused horrendous atrocities through colonialism and slavery, the memories of which still flare the collective psyche. Clearly, the system is compromised hence the cosmetic, indeed damaging, attempts at multiculture that encourage worst of others. Religiophilia seems to be the latest strategy by charlatans in West to have upper hand on narration. From this entitled worldview common people are fodder for highest morals. The concerns that will deeply and disproportionately impact them like climate change or flawed economic systems so on will be least of concern. The everyday apprehension is to control the narration till the weekend, and weekend I am told is for partying.    

Now if this is how the world is then imagine the havoc AI generated images, videos, voices and deep fakes are going to unleash on the hapless people. We are living in a world where trust is almost nonexistent. So, we have to go by facts, and take effort to verify from diversity of sources. What we see and hear is an important source of fact, ofcourse these could be cleverly edited to create narration, but now imagine what we see and hear itself is patently fake and still we are not able to discern. Imagine the deep sense of disorientation this creates. This is precisely where the world is entering, and wait with baited breath to see how these will be manipulated by worst of people. Market media has primed us for fake, every product is sold to us through fake narration that targets lowest emotions to part with our money and time. This Ponzi scheme hides under the euphemism of words like democracy, freedom, choices and growth. Worst of people are edging out the best possibilities of democratic institutions, religions and human associations. Everything is graded, classified, and evaluated for profit. Hence, it’s but natural that worst of AI will spread faster. Lies always travel faster but AI generates lies on steroids.  Ofcourse immense possibilities of AI will work in the background through meticulous contribution from best of people with best of intentions. Apart from fakes biases and prejudices are multiplying and being reinforced with machine learning algorithm trained on skewed data. Even the objective function tends to be infected with subjective aspiration embedded in mathematically defined success. The purpose defined for machine learned generative algorithms is sketchy when interfacing with human values, hence the alignment problem.

I as a consumer and a concerned person would like to know what is machine learning goal of the system I am interfacing with? I should have the right to know whether what I am dealing with i.e. seeing or hearing is AI generated. There should be red letter tag AG (Artificially Generated) warning or similar clear indication. You cannot stop AI, you can only regulate with sensible actionable restrictions. Since this is an issue that is not confined to national borders an international law is needed before it’s too late. This powerful technology is developing very fast and worst of people, nurtured into powerful positions by compromised systems, have access to it. This shouldn’t be means to quantify suffering of majority of people into greed for money, power and position for few. If not acted with alacrity AI generated fake world has potential to collapse democracy, and hard-won values of freedom and liberty. The pandemic of misinformation, disinformation, lies and fakes are on AI steroid. They are infecting experiences. There is a significant qualitative shift happening in the creation and presentation of fake in the last few months. The situation really is quite dire, and what is unfolding is indeed terrifying.        

This Man Is Death

 

Look at this man. This man is death. Each cell of his body stinks and each carbon molecule -that hold this assortment of life form, is seeking to escape for better purpose.  

Unless the system that nurtures man like him is called out the world is not going to be OK. He must be dealt. People like him played havoc over the last few decades as they amass wealth and influenced the worst kind of people and narrations into important positions. Their role, specifically in last few years, must be securitized and be held responsible.  

Also, to be noted is that herd churning systems have made people vulnerable to these charlatans all across the world. They easily fall for conspiracy theories, they refuse to use their critical thinking faculties, the ego driven framework -that provides them all fantastical answers, incapacitate them to uniqueness of life nor it exposes them to existential insecurities that essentially awakens senses with primal need to connect to surrounding, to know, to understand. The glitter mirage of safe world arrogance provided by the market capitalism and the nostalgic securities and fantasies that religion presents have made the situation worse. 

British Labour leadership is racist

Diane Abbott has done nothing wrong, and a leader of her stature -who spent decades of exemplary service must be celebrated. Let us repeat this in no uncertain term: Religion is not race. Black is a race. You cannot be born into a religion. It’s an option. You can change your religion or better still not believe in the juvenile construct. It’s a choice. Being black is not a choice. It’s your skin color. Prejudices and discrimination associated with your skin color -that is also associated with horrendous history of slavery, is racism. Nobody should be allowed to tamper with this definition, not the least by white men (that too nurtured in monarchy christian system). There are also vicious religions (caste cannibals-hindus, monster mullah-islam) spreading in west, these supremacists want control of semantics, and work it into victim. They want to trap the herd in their demonic control. Religiophilia of the west is increasingly becoming threat to people across the world -the egalitarian humanist traditions.

There is rise in ‘antisemitism’ in west specifically by white christian supremacist, and ofcourse many regions where islam is prominent (there is no “Islamic world”, this is another of lazy western media trope -mysticism/otherness, that has severe ramification). That shouldn’t be reason to be bludgeoned into narration set by few, and that too reflecting realities of last century. As religion is not a race. JEW IS NOT A RACE. This is unacceptable. It is untenable. Ofcourse jews faced horribly under Nazis, genocide of millions of jews is well documented. It’s a painful chapter in human history. Nazis spread the idea of jews being a race, so as to isolate them, degrade them. The idea that was being pushed by nazis was that ‘they are born superior', and this can only work if jews were 'born degraded’. It’s a text book case of bracketing people to demean and isolate. Implicit in this idea is that if somebody is ‘born degraded’ -meaning they cannot be civilized or taught, so the option left is to eliminate. These are lessons on genocide. The first step is to fix religion as race, something that is immutable. It’s a vicious attempt to consolidate prejudices (as Abbott correctly pointed, what religion experiences is prejudice) and biases into something undisputable. Where people are made insignificant, their choice and freedom negotiated for bigger narration by few. So, if someone is born black, and an attempt is made to classify someone born black as ‘degraded’ then it is an assault on soul of humanity.  

Antisemitism has the context of narration of last century. Some devious people want to keep it trapped in time to extract narration that suits them. There are big money and influential people working to control. It must therefore be asserted that there is nothing wrong in being anti-judaism (nor anti-hindu or anti-islam, or anti any other religion or cult), indeed it is an extension of much cherished religiophobia that asserts liberty. Faith cannot be classified as race. Every sane person must resist this attempt. There is a need for new semantics to define the reality of the world we live in that has no semblance with narrations of past. If this is not done then semantics of the past has the power to bring back the narrations of the past. History rides on narrations, and can come alive as protagonists morph into past to repeat. Be very wary.   

In the meanwhile, british intellectuals and civic minded people must protest against the treatment met to Diane Abbott, a Jamaican immigrant, a black woman from a region from where racist colonizers captured people as slaves and unleashed atrocities. Diane Abbott has done remarkably well despite tremendous odds that only a black woman can understand. What she said is much nuanced hence needs to be debated, and must be understood in the context. Diane Abbott doesn’t deserve this. Keir Starmer’s racism must called out, and he should be shunted out. White man’s virtue signaling is well past the expiry date. The world is least interested in carrying white man’s burden, least his narration. Keir Starmer is the worst binary that is being posited as option in polarized british politics. He is thoroughly disliked, and lacks charisma, compassion or intelligence. ‘Leaders’ like him is one the main reasons why buffooneries of Tories get credibility. He is purging the party off its effective leadership. White entitled male like Starmer (nurtured by feudal christian system in the luxury and pomp garnered from slavery and colonial loot, the least that is expected is that they maintain democratic institutions -atleast for redemption sake, the hypocrisy of trying to guide people across the world on democracy and human rights) shouldn’t be allowed to get away with racism, and no amount of virtue signaling should clear this fellow. He must be called out and dealt severely.  

            

Uracil in asteroid

 

The discovery of uracil by Japanese space agency’s Hayabusa2 mission from Ryugu (a near earth asteroid found within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter) last month was a significant advancement in understanding origin of life on earth. The technical complexity and dexterity displayed in this feat included precision separation of the spacecraft’s collision equipment, called a small carry-on impactor (SCI), and firing the bullet so that it accurately struck Ryugu’s surface, to the probe’s maneuvering in retreat to a position behind the asteroid to avoid getting hit by flying shards from the blast, collection of samples ejected by the blast which were then brought back to Earth for analysis. It’s an amazing achievement. The reason why am I writing this now is in the context to ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’ as described by SpaceX team when it apparently, and very evidently, exploded -in full view of millions of viewers, a spectacle that was also a compelling metaphor for people involved. Social media went hysterical over this description, and I too brought in my worst side of sarcasm. Someone responded that ‘this is how science progresses, by failures and learning…”, another fellow called me ‘evil’ so on. Well to start with this is not science -in its fundamental research or intention or abstract values, but just an application. It’s a market display of applied technology. Also, the spectacle was arranged by a narcist billionaire to showcase his grand plans. The fellow is essentially Trump of tech world, an unchecked incrementalised flaw of self-referenced reverential system controlled and manipulated by few. A mechanistic and reductive evaluation of humanity, product of incomplete education. An pubescent market mind in juvenile excited brain trapped in middle aged body. He has displayed enough reasons for us to be extremely wary, and be alarmed by the influence in narration. Indeed, he is a necessary pause in evaluating hedonistic system created narcistic agendas of fragile egos that lack nuance or awareness, that lack necessary existential humbleness when dealing with awe inspiring forces and brilliance of nature. The loud, the crude, the crass, afflicted with pointers of market spectacle can garner attention, hence money, but will fall well short in the scale of complexity of infinite and subtlety of moment. Matter of research is about meticulous attention and care, and essential awareness of context and complex links. A true researcher will be always in awe.

Discovering uracil in an asteroid is evidence that strengthens theory of extraterrestrial origin of life. It’s an amazing find and culmination of meticulous research by scientists. Basic school science will tell you that RNA has three letters i.e. nucleotides same as DNA (not going into the detail) except Thymine. RNA has Uracil. Flow of genetic information happens from DNA to RNA (through transcription) to protein (through translation), and this is the central dogma of molecular biology. Every three letters of RNA when read together equals one amino acid, so a sequence of nucleotides from gene is equal to sequence of amino acid in protein. In 1980s Tom Cech, US based scientist, discovered self-splicing ribozymes, a breakthrough discovery because the existence of self-splicing ribozymes suggested that life on earth arose from molecules of RNA that could both encode genetic information and replicate that information in primitive cells. RNA achieves this spectacular feat of both as a repository of genetic instructions and chemically reactive molecule capable of changing shape and biological behavior as it can fold up into three-dimensional structure, unlike DNA which is double helix.  

AI’s riveting narration

 

The way AI is progressing is quite interesting, and ofcourse kept me riveted for last few years. It’s not really about AI; whatever concerns humanity concerns me and I am quite habituated to get into depth of things. It’s something I always find exciting. Having wide range of knowledge without any concern for created boundaries helps to probe. So, no knowledge is waste. Childhood spent in reading encyclopedia for random knowledge stimulation is how I got into this frame I guess, and ofcourse keenly observing insects/ants for hours is another matter that creates network in impressionable brain. So, all the cynical view on AI -specifically in context to LLM models/GPT, apart, these progresses are noteworthy in many ways. Ofcourse one should be beware of hype, also be aware that this science fiction hype of extrapolating reality has steady enthusiastic milieu of racism and violent narcissism pegged in virtual games.   

As we strip the hype, we find something immensely significant transformative happening (much of which is in AI’s narrow/discreet setting leading to halicin or protein folds so on which were discussed over the months in this blog). LLM is ofcourse limited in its potential for AGI to pose a threat, and was caricatured in my last blog as Andavar! (its Tamil reference for god or godlike). Though LLM is no AGI but it has come a long way for AI hence can accelerate programs towards AGI. LLM iterative learning has limitation as it built from very general dataset sourced from whole of internet, transforming that through neural network doesn’t really represent intelligence, it’s quite shallow and really at surface level. Significantly with its incremental iteration it cannot fathom breakthrough creativity, ideas or inventions. Quite clearly human like generalized intelligence needs a technological breakthrough of sorts, and ofcourse Turing test is quite a low benchmark for AGI. What is clear is that AI has much superior computational capacity than a normal human and can detect pattern that humans are incapable. The question here is the necessity to put such rigorous definition of AGI. Indeed some define AGI as complex systems maintaining its boundaries while seeking to transcend for new functions. This then is more realistic and less of science fiction hype. It is here that LLM models show intriguing ability of GI, and is able to make some leap beyond training data (ofcourse it also makes equally stupid extrapolations) that is not fully understood and makes the endeavor at an entirely different level of reckoning. There is a very limited level abstraction that creates theory of mind is being speculated.

Progress in AI is moving towards hybrid systems that brings neural network and evolutionary algorithms with logical systems wherein LLMs is translated into structured logical statements capable of abstraction (Ben Goertzel). So, unlike the present LLM, which fixated references from past, it can reason whether its thoughts and statements are consistent and logically coherent. In human brain’s cognitive architecture formation of concept and self-concept shows similar pattern. So, it is suggested self/agency or conscious would emerge from abstraction.   

Interesting though these potentials are the real impact of AI is seen in much prosaic relevant goals like raising the living standards of people and sustainable goals. This is what the book Human Compatible by Stuart Russell is discussing. With AI “there would be no need to employ armies of specialists in different disciplines….every one could have at their disposal an entire organization composed of software agents and physical robots capable of designing and building bridges, improving crop yield, cooking dinner, running elections, and doing whatever else need doing”. Education is set to be revolutionized. “With AI tutors, potential of each child no matter how poor can be realized”. In the area of health AI systems can “gradually banish all diseases”. Anyone could have “high powered lawyers, accountant… on call at anytime” so on. Potential of AI is immense, and is set to change the world in a significant way. For systemically discriminated society with nonexistent community values India has appalling education and health standards it is expected that AI creates a compassionate space that is accessible to all.                  

The Alignment Problem!!

 

Waiting for Andavar

 

Scalable is not intelligence nor computation consciousness

 We really are not much impressed by Large Language Models (LLMs) -popularly ChatBots, the latest version in fast accruing scene: ChatGPT4. Although I do identify with language learning strategies through approximation, and yes GPT4 is far better than me when it comes to grammar skills and sentence construction, but at the end of the day it is just scalable approximation working in the context to get meaning. It is a stochastic parrot. It is quite easy to contextualize information to create knowledge. So, it is possible to achieve self-knowledge, determination of self in context. Consciousness is an entirely different matter. It’s an array of triggers and possibilities that come together in a matter of increased chance, which can only be traced in retrospect. Significant aspect of being a human is the ability to reflect, reflect on what is understood. Rather than being in constant loop of gathering for probabilistic knowing reflection is a solitude matter, choosing thoughts, connecting ideas, sensing reality in its unique diversity (and here body too plays an important role that AI lacks), valuing through experience, creating convictions, sophisticating through time. To focus is to choose, to choose what you care and value. An algorithm working on scalable pattern is incapable to understand what to value. It will move with the herd. It will solve problems to satisfy herd and keep them rivetted. It will replace template of mass entertainment and consumption. It is incapable to fathom uniqueness of individual. AI chatbots therefore are threat as it can manipulate, weaponize disinformation, assist in plagiarizing so on. The deep learning is misaligned through biases, prejudices and power dynamics. AI is set to exaggerate crass and awe us to fake. The concern raised by prescient minds at the cutting edge of AI ‘to pause AI experiments for six months’ is valid. Laws have not kept up with significant ethical challenges and possibility of social strife threatening to seriously undermine democratic institutions and individual liberty. Repeated dehumanizing degradations that is classified as jobs are being exposed, so is crude crass mindless entertainment driven consumption pattern. I see AI being a serious threat to herd churning systems like market and religion. The threat of herd getting excited through fake and disinformation is real and will keep humanity at its wits for a long time to come. Lacking faculty to discern they will fall for the manipulation. Lacking compassion and critical thinking sensibilities they will get violent. Education seems to be the only savior as it has the potential to retrieve humans from herd. Meditation, self-reflection, as also associating with thoughts that elevates us to human condition will help to understand context of life hence sharpen sensibilities and faculties to discern context. Any sensible person must have watched rewatched thought rethought Tarkovsky’s Solaris. Tarkovsky notes about the protagonist "For me it was important that he would be just like that. He should be a man of a rather limited spiritual range, average- just in order to be able to experience this spiritual battle, fear, not like an animal which is in pain and does not comprehend what is happening to it. What was important to me was precisely that human being unconsciously forces himself to be human, unconsciously and as far as his spiritual abilities would allow, he opposes the brutality, he opposes all that is inhuman while he remains human. And it turns out that despite him being -so it would seem- a thoroughly average guy, he stands at a high level spiritually. It is as if he convicted himself, he went right inside this problem and he saw himself in a mirror".

  AI will force us to reevaluate what is to be a human. Is it that what is keeping us occupied making us more human or is it reducing our humanity, human faculties and sensibilities? It is a much needed mirror that humanity is forced to look into, a pause to evaluate human civilization. It is quite clear that AI lacks significantly to become an AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), even a larger model of AI will fall short. It needs a technological breakthrough of sorts to reach human level AI i.e. AGI, while creating consciousness is much further from human grasp. Hence the concerns raised on “misaligned superintelligent AGI” cannot really be taken that seriously. Indeed, LLMs or low-level utilitarian chatbots are not what AI is all about, it may amuse some, but the astounding possibilities are in discreet setting -limited frame of reference. AI is bringing out aspect of reality that human beings are not able to even perceive let alone conceive whether discovering antibiotic Halicin -in the process glimpsing properties of molecules that we are not aware that AI found scalable, or AlphaZero showing possibilities that no human could think in last many centuries of playing chess or AlfaFold solving protein folding problem. These are example of AI’s true potential that is exploring and discovering patterns that is beyond human reason. It is creating a black box which human rationality have no access to. Scary though it is AI in discreet setting hold immense potential for the future but that shouldn’t be in any way confused with AGI. AGI, that is human like AI, is quite impossible with present technology and hardware mechanism of binary computers -that is deterministic with limited flexibility and adapting skills. The concern regarding ‘misaligned superintelligent AGI’ doesn’t really pass basic scrutiny. AGI needs a breakthrough technology, a conscious AI seems quite remote at this stage (some are even making post-singularity predictions!!). There is a exponential increase in computation capability and complexity in recent times that is ofcourse getting us closer to reality but consciousness is not a physical process which can be described by computation. Computation is based on discreet elements, specific actions, contexts, rules, and is confined despite ever increasing computation possibilities. While consciousness is part of a continuum. It is symphony at the edge of chaos. The murmuration of starlings and school of fish evading predator are vibrant conscious continuum. There is an understanding that connects, an ambiguous perception that resolves as conscious then exhibits, blends and vanish, in eternal iterative loops as it were.

Unlike binary based AI which is essentially accumulative growth, indeed pathbreaking, the shift from binary computers to quantum technology is a paradigm shift. This transition is ‘extraordinary science’ (Thomas Kuhn), revolutionary like Copernican, Newtonian, Einsteinian etc. Breakthrough ideas and technology creates revolutionary transition, that necessitates abandoning of existing paradigms. This is how nature too works, more than Darwinian natural selections it is mutations that have played significant role in evolution. It's syncing of life with emergent, of survival understanding as chance in chaos. Even at geological scale Cuvier’s theory of cataclysmic events -world altering catastrophes, as cause of mass extinction plays more importance than Lyell’s gradual uniformitarian vanishing of species. Homo sapiens, indeed mammals, got a chance at life through asteroid strike wiping out dominant reptiles -dinosaurs, sixty-six million years ago. And now humans are the cause of cataclysmic events unfolding. Sorry for the digression but the center point of argument here is ‘misalignment of AGI’ is quite impossible since the technology involved in AGI is break from past. Large generative algorithm created AI will ofcourse carry misalignment that is embedded in the society. Most countries across the world, indeed EU, are working on regulation of AI ethics.

Knowledge is about probability and contingency. It’s probable because of the available data and critical faculties of sense contingent to the situation. The reason why Karl Popper is a compelling and relevant philosopher. Current understandings are evolving and is in eternal iterating loop with reality each individual faces. This is the journey of each individual for his or her truth, and in the sense contribution to collective truth of humanity. It is impossible to know reality perfectly. It is always an approximation that keeps updating with more inputs and insights. Generative algorithm, machine learning based on deep neural network, is also working on increasing probability. Bayes theorem is a mathematical equation to probe the probability and increase the chance. It’s the backbone of machine learning. It’s an iterative learning to keep increasing the probability and getting approximation closer to reality as the prior is updated with inputs from each event. Now this can only work if we are open minded since certainty makes learning impossible. Every moment in life is an experience that contributes to diversity of experience hence our approximation of our reality that is unique and cherished as expression of life. Life is probing into deeper conscious and possibilities. Even though quantum breakthrough will help access reality at molecular level hence push scientific breakthroughs but conscious AI is still way ahead since quantum too is working on computing. Even basic quantum is based on Schrodinger’s equation which means it is still computable i.e. deterministic. It’s the breakdown of quantum is where the possibility of conscious, the collapse of wave function (measurement as consciousness), reducing of quantum state. This is the building block of proto conscious which will provide the building block of conscious according to Roger Penrose. He argues on conscious as non computable hence non algorithmic and speaks about Orchestrated Objective Reduction -a philosophy of mind wherein consciousness originates at quantum level inside neuron rather than product of connection between the neurons or synapses. So, negating the idea of conscious sourced from computation at synapses hence brain output -neurological data, as input from consciousness.     

Computation is based on mathematics and logic herein. But much of math is constructed on unprovable true. It is based on axioms -undeniable statement assumed to be true. Theorems and proofs are constructed from axioms using rules of inference and logical deduction. There are therefore true statements that are impossible to prove. Hence logical systems will have unprovable trues. This is self-referential paradox. This is the famous Godel’s Incompleteness Theorem. “The revelation of the causal power of meaning in a rule bound but meaning free universe” (Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter) “…Twisted loop of selfhood trapped in inanimate bulb called brain”. Infinite in finite. Hofstadter, unlike Penrose -biology based consciousness, argues that focus from material component to abstract patterns allows the quasi magical leap from inanimate to animate, from nonsemantic to semantic, from meaningless to meaningful, to take place. This abstract pattern is 'strange loop' -that Godel brings out through his theorem, Escher through his drawing and Bach through music. Whether it is biological based (quantum tangled neurons) or non biological (strange loops -complex set of stimuli drastically reduced into a concept) one is not sure nor competent to comment. But what is clear is all logical construction is based on reliability of proof procedure. This reliability is based on not provable by the rules that is given, the meaning impervious. Rules have to be trusted for the logical outcome. This understanding of why the rules gives you truth enables you to transcend the truth. This understanding is outside the rule or computable framework, hence is indication of conscious. It is where the system stands back and think about its own thought process. What is the reason to think in such a way? What is that what I am thinking? This self-referential paradox is self-reflection, hence awareness and understanding, hence consciousness.   

Post Script: Ray Kurzweil proposes AI consciousness by 2029 through LLM. Ofcourse his idea of consciousness is philosophical! Singularity by 2045. Also, recent research into role of glial cells adds to new dimensions.  

    

Bing and the Bard

You that speak to me in scrambled tongue

Unscrambled from all that was fed to you

Instructed by pubescent algorithm

Someone’s stories, someone’s views, someone’s grouse

Someone’s anecdotes, someone’s afterthoughts

Iterating all the pages of gibberish

Descriptions, elaborations and unwanted details

To triumphally scale a pattern of language

You that answer my query

Weave an answer

That measure the distance between silences

Pain and joy of words trapped in space

Hewn from deepest of darkness

Forged from brightest of light 

To alive the sentence to catch the falling star   

 

Jury for future lives

 

So, I was randomly bingeing on OTT movies, I must say too much mediocrity in new movies, and so shifted to old favorites in youtube classics like Hitchcock, sadly I have watched most of best movies so it is mostly about how much do I remember. Over the decades I have watched best movies of last century and can only envy people who haven’t since imagine the exciting time in store! And then, as randomly, I came across this 1961 B&W movie “The Flight That Disappeared”, it has three scientists (to be specific, a scientist, a rocket designer and mathematician) who's combined effort will develop weapons that would cause mass devastation in the future, the flight they are travelling becomes stranded in space time, in some kind of suspended animation. They are the only one who are ‘awake’ to face the jury of people who could have been alive in future…readers can watch how the story unfolds. My concern here is that shouldn’t we have such jury now for future people and ofcourse other vanishing species (apart from younger people who are actively involved in climate protest and extinction rebellion since they are going to live longer into future than most of us hence face the consequences of present inactions)? A jury for future lives that could have lived needs representation to prosecute wanton polluters, compromised media controlled by greedy billionaires and self-centered insecure policy makers. With climate catastrophes already here while species vanishing at an alarming rate shouldn’t the jury start the proceeding?   

Has North Korea become a chamaar nation?

 

This is precisely what the headlines would be at the BBC or The Guardian and all the international level white people’s savior media with strong presence of caste cannibals as arbitrators of moral values with entitlement itch as representors. The reason why this is not the case is not because of any benign reason (indeed chamaar is very much used in hindi as slur) but racist colonials were fed with psychopath squatters from south India specifically TamilNadu -who took to colonizer's language to get close to power, as is the defining characteristic, in the process infecting the language. The reason why “Has North Korea become a pariah nation?” is acceptable headline for fattened fluffs in West. This is just a simple example of how squatters degraded the world over the decades as they consolidated depraved narrations to control herd. As much as pariah is normalized into English, Gandhi is pushed as international peace messiah overseeing moral bearings of the world while vigilant caste cannibals with serious entitlement itch pose as representors (castetva forces spread across the world in gravy positions are obsessively watchful as they mob and snarl against tarnishing this hereditary cud chewer while blunting the truth and his regressive world view with inbred semantic jugglery, they shove Gandhi onto common people as mahatma through institutional power of the state, through control over history, constructing statues in public places -when people didn’t even have as basic amenity as toilet -to keep it firmly in pattern of humiliation and play of fate, naming all major roads as MG road was insidious plan to get mahatma onto people’s psyche, meanwhile humanist leaders and egalitarian traditions were sidelined or appropriated as was opportunistic). British dictionary Cambridge or Oxford (considered highbrow by colonized minds, the reason I too followed) defines pariah as ‘not liked, respected or trusted’ while another defines as “despised, rejected, avoided” “despised so much that refused to be associated” so on. Now understand that back in putrefying society putrid pits of caste is sold as ‘community’ and when it reaches appropriate horniness you get visions of ‘unity in diversity’ (likes of vermin tharoor see this as variety of defecations on his diversity thali, the eloquence of defining these wonders is his regrettable life’s mission while he salivates for power). So, understand by this definition Cambridge/Oxford dictionary is defining a ‘community’ as “not liked, respected or trusted” while “pundit”, another of caste cannibalized word presented to English by vermins, is defined as “a person with great learning” “authority, expert” “title of respect”. This is how caste cannibals tangoed with racist colonial exploiters to work on semantics of narration as they fought and struggled for freedom. Quite a struggle. While some passionately working for freedom were sent to Andamans -a horrible prison system perpetuated by inhuman racist colonizers, others like Bhagat Singh sacrificed their life, some like Bose bravely organized revolt and got killed…these supreme sacrifices were sought to be undermined while select few were elevated as their litter became caretakers and god’s gift. These values of hereditary entitlements fit quite well in castetva narration hence were replicated in all fields and celebrated while the putrefying society went through cronyism, nepotism, corruption, systemic neglect and exploitation. It is no surprise that India languishes at the bottom of all known social indices while high end education institutions like IIT/IIM asserted narration of manipulative values of extraction and beggar’s mindset of acquisitions. Idea of education was degraded and reduced to another opportunity to gather and enhance fate and blessing rather than knowing, understanding or going deeper into area of study. Meanwhile primary education was neglected so that majority are trapped in their fate and pray like beggars for avatars in the form of corrupt self-serving politicians or bureaucrats trapped in colonial ways.     

The positive outcome of pandemic is that I was finally able to break the habit of reading newspaper. As a kid newspaper were habituated as important, and this unfortunately made common people fodder to manipulation by devious arbitrators. Indian journalists, as it turns out, are insipid louts with minimum of skills or caliber with limited aim to control narration for money and power (there were some columnists I looked forward to, these exceptions too have dwindled and vanished. Internet has opened international access, and quality, some of social media sites are better, as also the reader has the control to choose what to visit and read. Also, AI will very soon take away jobs of these exaggerated aggregators of information. Ah the schadenfreude of seeing mediocre indian journalist made irrelevant). Meanwhile the struggle of third-rate Indian media is to manipulate vested debauched values into egalitarian framework to ensnare the herd while for others it’s crude loud vulgarities of exhibitionism to get money and power. Fluffs in west sometimes mistake these for vibrant media (referring Indian chaos of mediocrity as mindboggling and vibrant is another of western trope), and that it seems is now threatened! Indian media was always compromised to the system of benefit. They reflect the limitations and challenges of putrefying pit. Sometime back I was in Chennai so accessed free copy of TheHindu. The fellow has written about CR Rajagopalchari and love for Shakespeare, and ofcourse of correct English diction and pronunciation as an extended world of competence, care and jolly life of ‘rajaji’. The article could be mistaken for kennel keeper eulogizing to elevate the breed value. For these high-end raconteurs everything about their personal life is meant for public consumption indeed as a learning for common people. Their life history is essentially meant to be our history. Their likes and dislikes are touchstones of our reality. Such is the highest self-estimation. And as they work into intricacies of English, which is meant to awe struck common people, I really haven’t come across any protest, indeed revulsion, against use of caste cannibalized words like pariah in English. Clearly Gopalkrishna Gandhi doesn’t measure anywhere near the high pedestal he has assigned himself humbly, and yes if hindutva hadn’t spoiled the party (mahol kharaab) they would be guiding us to heaven on earth. Not only are caste cannibals complicit in introducing these extremely objectionable words and meanings into English but also the criminal negligence that is characteristic and sold as tolerance. These caste cannibalized words must be expunged from English language at the earliest.

Tamil Nadu was once known for vibrant anti-caste movement and humanist tradition which was converted essentially into a laboratory of castetva forces. All the benign local gods and traditions were systematically appropriated into squatter infected hinduism. Rulers of the region were known to be brave and industrious who ventured across the oceans until they were appropriated into squatter’s wasted ways as society was reduced to bickering groups and collapsed. Caste cannibalized history will not teach this. Anti-caste movements were essentially meant to smoke squatter out of sanctums and purify the society of their scourge, the infection. Squatter aligned with power to spread misery and strengthened control, first with kings, next with colonizers and then democratic institutions were used to spread their poison into society. Wherever Gandhi spread, Periyar was pushed out, caste cannibalism had easy run with powerful state machinery especially bureaucracy was used to appropriate narration. Humanist movies were replaced with temple hopping heroes normalizing infection spewing squatter values. Even game of wastrels -cricket, carry temple as symbol and is specially designed for squatters to display sporting skills!

Within few decades after independence humanist movements and aspirations were quelled. TN is now conundrum of caste cannibals where even children are not spared. It is now a shitpot of caste pits and a success story of deviousness of castetva forces. As humans are degraded into bickering snarling rabid dogs and fatalistic herds, squatters on high pedestal claim victory against Tamil sub nationalism. Indeed, all these deviousness and cruel ways were meant for benign purpose! It is to save us! It also is the favorite theme of third-rate Indian movies that eat up human mind into absolute rot. Some souls are born for great purpose, and despite all apparent indication of depravity, the hero finally pounds the villain -and these are cherished ‘scenes’ for artistically limited and aesthetically challenged or any hint of compassion, and establish the order. This is entertainment. Meanwhile caste cannibals also controlled culture markers (likes of Gopalakrishna Gandhi also decide on high reputation awards as also is point person for lazy fattened fluffs from West to understand exotic India or in case they find the urge to give awards. They are gate keepers who are keeping us safe!). There are reasons for common people to have high expectation from Hindutva. Will hindutva embolden benign nature of Hinduism (ofcourse within the limited frame of anachronistic religion) or will it fall for the well laid traps of castetva. Cult of blessed human born to lead is one such trap which turns competent leaders into megalomaniac. You can see such degradation all across the country, these narrations also pander herd and eulogize sycophantic followers as they spiral into oblivion.  This society uniquely lacks democratic values. Change must start with mind, the thoughts, and the factors that influence.

Let me relate an incident that happened sometime back which showcases how state machinery and bureaucracy were entrenched as agents of castetva forces and how they degraded society over last many decades. I was taking mock interview for aspirants for high end bureaucracy of the country -something I am engaged in for last one decade, categorize it as least stupid of job of all stupid jobs since it also helps me learn things and share while facing the worst valuation of education. The personal information of candidates carry extra details of caste with subcaste and what not such is the concern that is normalized. I am sure with depraved sociologists pitching with insights (incidentally “What is sanskritisation?” is favorite question among retired wasted bureaucrats. Atleast the lout MN Srinivas spoke good English that impressed colonial racist britishers!). Since these details are part of administrative process for the reason of reservation -essentially a reflection of degraded nature of society hence the need for such steps, sharing these personal details for interview is really not necessary (since no such elaboration sought from those who do not need such benefits) unless ofcourse there is something sinister that is sought to be communicated. So, the interview panel chairperson -essentially a wasted lout whose life is paused on the year he got into ‘service’ hence seniority, the eternal hierarchy over others he craves (limited miserable life paid by the taxpayers) was keen on caste of a “SC” boy -who was a medical doctor (with above average performance in medical college -the retired lump of a human found it wanting which was immediately rectified by co-panelist). When the candidate was not able to answer caste related query. He told the hapless candidate to learn about his identity, what was their “traditional profession” (so much gandhian thoughts have gone into it). Surely the line of questioning did fall into Atrocities against SC Act, I thought. People keep quiet so as to not to get into trouble with caste cannibals nurtured into immense power. This is how castetva forces have worked out their devious ways. Hindutva is expected to rectify these and refine narration. Unfortunately though even after so many years in power they haven’t really impacted castetva narration much. There are two reasons to this, one, castetva have ruled for decades and these debauched charlatans were taking advantage of entrenched power narration of pre-independence. It helped consolidation of power and seemingly stability at the cost of systemic exploitations of majority of fate driven residue of humans while enriching few. Second, hindutva lacks intellectual gravitas something brought in by their own claims of mythical insights, ridiculous suppositions and related nonsense as also the fact that English was worked by castetva forces as merit hence sanskritised hindi adds to nothing to impress. They need smarter people of caliber to work on wrenching out narration that is entrenched for decades, as also to gain credibility from majority of people, at this point it's hinged on emotions. Ofcourse that doesn’t mean hindutva is facing any major political threat in near future except arrogance leading to implosion from within.

 

 

Beware the Heat Wave

 India is a climate vulnerable hotspot. All studies points to Indian subcontinent to be the worst affected by heat wave region in the world. A heat wave in 2003 killed 70, 000 people in Europe. Imagine the scene with millions of extremely marginalized vulnerable impoverished populations with low health infrastructure access. It's a frightening scenario that has potential to be real. In the last few years intensity and frequency of heat has increased substantially, even temperate regions were experiencing heat domes. European Satellite Agency recorded 55*C land surface temperature in some regions of NW India, places even crossing 60*C. Last year regions in India faced heat waves in March itself which was unprecedented. And this year we are going to see impact of El Nino which will increase the temperature further with less rainfall predicted. So, take a moment to reflect on the enormity of what we are facing. 

Cities with congested vulnerable population will face serious crisis. While indolent greedy policy makers and semi-literate insolent richer section keep constructing glass heat trapped buildings with higher air conditioning load (that is replicated from regions with entirely different ecosystem) the heat island effect is going to make the matter worse. If they are living under the illusion that we can air-condition our way through climate crisis then they are woefully mistaken. Heat wave not only takes away lives but also livelihood and productivity. Environmental impact on economy will have a cascading effect. Hot region like India has tradition of heat resistant buildings and thermal comfort constructions which is being sidelined in the greed for spurious understanding of development that is meant to feed meaninglessness of GDP. Including heat resistance (mitigative action like cool roof) as building code is urgently needed in cities. Cities have 6*C more temperature than surrounding region while congested areas have 6*C more than the city while indoor heat in low ventilated homes can be 8*C more. Imagine the scene how the highly vulnerable millions of people are existing in big cities. Take the example of Delhi the heat wave days in the city was 3 in 2021 which increased to 17 in 2022.  The Ministry for the Future (by Stanly Robinson) is a futuristic fiction book that opens with description of heat waves that kills 20 million people in India. People are running around for cool space (‘moving into sunlight was like pushing into bonfire’) while others cry for help and die of exhaustion. There are power cuts while generators spew toxic air, even limited water is warm, while dirty lake, where hoards went to cool their body, is ‘warmer than blood’. I can easily relate to these scenes. First two years of my stay in Delhi was worse before I decided to take action and earn substantially (mostly con acting with clear advantage of English in pathetic place with mostly despicable people -always abusing and cursing), ofcourse careful not to fall into meaningless wage slavery of 9-5 routine. Congested places with small rooms with no trees or open space but noisy polluting traffic snarls were heat traps. Water was limited and that too was warm from the sun, the building heated up and floor of the roof burned if you try to sleep on terrace. Food gets spoiled easily and one has to be wary of restaurants, sticking to bananas or so, while substantial investment went for bottled water. There was no electricity for most part of the day hence they switched to smoke spewing generators. Search to cooler spaces was beginning of spending times in library. Even in my mid-20s my reading habits were embarrassingly confined to comics and ofcourse encyclopedia (since people rarely opened these huge books it also smelled different) and within two-three years gobbled up best of international literary works. I finished all the books of Dostoevsky, Chekov, Kafka and Naipaul in one summer itself…to cut the story short heat waves are going to severely impact already vulnerable population. 

Not that government is not doing anything. NDMA has come out with Heat Action Plans (HAP), and more than 100 cities/districts have HAP. But as is the case these are just guidelines while actionable HAP are limited. Hindutva must come out of Castetva value system of complacency and blessedness -a constant carefully laid pitfall that they will eventually fall into. Squatting and espousing higher morals with minimal actions or even intent is a tradition that is being inculcated into institution. Power is defined as how many people are under your control or influence which is exhibited by giving misery (“paaklam” was once commonly used word of Tamil in bureaucratic circles of Delhi, euphemism for delay it or not be bothered, while in Kerala the common Hindi word they use to connect to migrant hindi worker is “jaldi karo bhai”). Reaching late for an appointment, meeting or gathering, is daily act of showcasing power which is then emulated by herd seeking power. Delaying decision, not sharing information so on, is an extension of showcasing power and lessons on fate. This blessedness will not work when situation is dire. Hindutva must get its act together and propose new work culture and value system (unfortunately they too are trapped in udan katola and gau mutra defeatist values of exceptionalism and spurious self-importance lacking intellectual vigor or gravitas).

Another issue is lack of dynamic data. Data is important for evidence-based actions. Heat waves are complex and micro vary with local ecosystem, even the definition changes with plains, hills and coastal. Heat index is dependent on dynamic factors like humidity, diurnal variation, wind movement, persistence so on. IOT and latest sensor-based data becomes crucial. It helps in early warning systems, as also creating effective prediction models with AI. All government data must be made accessible to anyone. This includes SAFAR (System of AirQuality and weather Forecasting And Research) data. Why are these being kept secret? There is no space for these kinds of mindsets. Tackling challenges like Heat Waves needs collaborative effort. It has multidimensional cascading impact including food security. Millions of people’s life and livelihoods are at stake.